Favorite Listening

Joseph has been going through a complete obsession with CDs for quite some time now!  As usual, I am using this blog to both share about my little man, maybe give some ideas to others (these are really great CDs), and perhaps most of all, to document these fleeting moments.  When I imagine looking back on Joseph’s early years, these are the songs that will be playing in the background.  I hope having these lists will help me remember. 

It was around when I started teaching (when Joseph was 15 months) that he first started to have favorite CDs and songs.  This album, one that I vividly remember from my childhood (as a record of course) and one that my mom and her siblings' also listened to as children, was his first obsession.  The calls it “This Train” as that is the name of the first song.  I highly, highly recommend this CD.  The whole family enjoys it!

I bought this one (which has 5 CDs) to try and teach myself new songs.  It isn’t particularly high quality, and Brad can’t stand it, but it does have TONS of songs.

This is a book and CD set which is really well done and a wonderful gift from Debbie and Bill!

My father, Bob, picked this out for Joseph at a yard sale last summer and it was one of his favorite presents ever.  We have listened to this CD an amazing amount.  He asks for his favorite songs by track number and name, his favorites being: number 5 Skip to My Lou, 8 Yankee Doodle, 13 Banjo on My Knee, and 23 Old Man Tucker.  Old Man Tucker is the favorite, favorite.  He often listens to this on repeat as he goes to sleep or dances around his room.

 

Then he started going through all of Brad and my CDs.  For some reason this one stood out.  Favorites being 8 “Bottom Man” (which is really Dance all Night with a Bottle in My Hand) and “Monster Crying” (Pictures from Life's Other Side).  We started to realize it was good he couldn’t understand every word and that some CDs would not be appropriate to share with his friends at school!

Total obsession with Beck.  We had to really start censoring more.  Favorite is “Shrink, Shrink, Ga” which is actually some swearwords, though it is pretty hard for even me to understand. 

And two more current favs ;)

Happy listening all!

The parenting quote I have on the fridge

Today I had a bad parenting day.  By that I mean, the kind of day where I did not feel like I have been or am the parent I want to be.  Meaning mostly, Joseph was CHALLENGING.  Errr.  Meaning I felt like matching his tantrums with one of my own.  Show him how it’s really done. JUST KIDDING.  Everyone survived, no major harm, he’s been sleeping for hours, and I will be soon.  As I was getting ready for bed I was thinking back on the day, with some perspective and remembering one of my favorite quotes.  It is on my fridge and it helps get me through days like this:

“The most important thing she had learned over the years was that there was no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a great one.”  (Mother’s Day card I bought for myself while working at the Vermont Book Shop.  Love it.)

Joseph’s Swashbuckling 3rd Birthday Party

Prior to having a child, I though parents who wasted lots of time, energy, and money on children’s parties were crazy.  I thought themes tacky.  But, somehow, things seem to change when you hangout with these little beings all day.  So, I went crazy, and all out, and threw my first real theme party.  I did cry from stress the day before, and it did rain, and Joseph did refuse to even put on his pirate costume, but I actually am glad I did it.  We did also have fun and I love trying to give back to all the families that do so much for us.  Oh yeah, I don’t think I mentioned that the guest list was pretty long—we ended up with 15 children and 12 adults.  Wow! 

Joseph was actually a huge help getting ready.  He made every single one of the boats for this “cake.”

The plank!

 

 

Couldn’t be cuter

The pirate cake!! Just a dirt cake, with my attempt at a skull and crossbones.  In my opinion dirt cake is one of the yummiest, most simple things EVER—pretty much Oreos, vanilla pudding, cream cheese, butter, sugar, whipped cream . . . yummy.  Recipe here.  Try it!

Piñata demolition finally accomplished

 

The gang

Awww

 

Indulging some more after everyone left.  On his birthday I let him lick the spoon!

 

Party banner that took FOREVER.  I like it, but probably will never try this again. 

Everyone signed a shirt for him, which was very fun and a great memento (and, most surprisingly, a shirt he actual likes to wear).

 

After the party he had a blast playing in his new “Super J” cape made by Jill!

My friend Claire took lots of fun pictures, but I couldn’t figure out how to steal them and put them here, so you will have to check them out here instead! 

Jumpy house fun and new chicks!

We had a great time playing with buddy Carson a while back.  In this one they are showing their muscles ;)

Joseph in the pajama pants I made him-
my first real sewing project on my old, old machine

 

At kids space!

  

The new chicks (headed for the dinner table hopefully!)

   
Boys being boys.

More overheard

J: “Great-gram is a rock star!”  I hung a picture of young Nora dancing and was talking to him about her being a ballet dancer.  This was his understanding.

J: “You have to share Mommy!”

J: “I want to, if I want to!”  This is his argument when he is starting to get really mad. 

J: “I will be the superhero and you be the princess.  You go ‘ahhhhh.’”  This is how he most often wants our play-pretend.  The other day I was honored to get to be a pirate not a princess.  Oh, and I also often get to be a horse.  Once he did tell me, “I will be the Daddy and you will be the Mommy.”  Hmmm . . .

J: “I am getting so big.”  “I am a big boy.”  “I am the oldest.”  “I am going to kindergarten.”

Grandfather Bob: “Oh, go put a sock in your mouth.” And what did Joseph do?  He went, found a sock, and put it in his mouth.  Hilarity. 

J: “When I use the potty, I will be big and ride the school bus!”

J: “Sorry, I can’t help you.”  I was telling him to do something . . .

J: “Can you squeeze my poop out for me?” 

J: “I bounced right off the ground!” Laughing, after he fell, hard.

J: “You are a bad boy!! I am going to throw you in a pot!”  I am not proud of this, but you have to remember the good and the bad right.  And actually it is pretty hilarious when he get’s really mad and start’s yelling this.  But, you can’t laugh or you are doomed.  Laugh and he will repeat anything! 

J: “There is lots of crying on this CD.”  After listening to a new Jonny Cash CD.  I thought this was a pretty good point.

J: “I am going to go tell Daddy you are not listening.”

J: “I hate everything about this dinner!”

J: “Do you like McDonald’s?”
R: “Not really.”
J: “Only Daddy and I like McDonald’s.  Do you like lettuce?”
R: “Yes. Do you like lettuce?”
J: “When I am older, I will eat lettuce.”

April Favorites (late, late, late, but still lots of fun!

Pirate Shirt I made him!

 
“Writing a letter” to Dr. Steam (imaginary sister who lives in the Ficus
tree).
 
 

Easter eggs
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

SOOOOO loving his bike!

First crash
















But right back on! 

Ride, Joseph, Ride

The strange noises are because he thinks he IS Spider Man when riding his Spider Man bike.

About two weeks ago we did a big garage clean out. Since everything was cleared out there was room for Joseph to try riding his special bike. WOW does he love this! He rides round and round for at least 30 minutes and every day he is faster. He has had two crashes, but they don't seem to bother him much. Actually, I have been trying to post this for awhile and we are now a bit out of the habit of riding the bike. For some reason Brad decided that Joseph was ready to have his training wheels off (!?!?!?). I am pretty sure two and even three-year-olds need training wheels still. Needless to say, that did not work out and actually scared Joseph! Now he thinks his bike doesn't work and he keeps getting off to "fix the wheels." I am sure we will get him going again. Actually, it's been a nice break from the constant begging to ride his superman bike.

New Porch!

Sugar time!

Ok, I know it’s been about 80 degrees and amazingly beautiful recently and we are all in spring and summer mode, but, I finally solved some technical issues and can use my blog again.  So, I have to share our early springtime adventure.  As I eluded to previously, and as most of you know, we (well mostly Brad) rigged up a boiler this year and made some of our own syrup!  What a fun!  The season started surprisingly early and our boiler wasn’t quite set, so the first weekend we boiled on the grill and didn’t even have a candy thermometer.  But, boy was it yummy nonetheless.  That week we bought a 50 gallon drum, used a kit to convert it to a stove from the local hardware store, and added a pan welded by a friend to come up with:

(Brad is not going to be happy about that pic . . .)  We boiled four batches and ended up with over 3 gallons (in case you don’t know it’s about 30 gallons sap to 1 gallon syrup and it takes a LONG time).  Here are some pictures from our adventures:

Collecting sap

 

 

 

 

Boiling well into the night (and then I would finish it on the stove)

Cousins Bree and Jacob visited (along with Amy and Bernie):

  

Sugar on snow!  Actually, we have been enjoying syrup on lots of things.  Joseph loves adding it to yogurt, oatmeal, and even to dip apple slices in.  Of course it is amazing on vanilla ice cream and pancakes, French toast, waffles, and my special waffle breakfast sandwiches.  I am also now experimenting using it in savory recipes, like on chicken and pork chops and plan to try it as a sweetener in baking. 

Loot

We also visited Grandpa’s horses at the Russell farm where they live and work:

  
The sugar house there

    Headed out to gather sap

 

Back at our house: